Alone
by Darth Krande
Summary: You can never know what's on a Controller's mind...  A small group of human-controllers is up to something unexpected, but first they will have to learn how to co-exist.
1. Chapter 1

We knew there was no other way to save her. I leaned forward and pushed my head as close to hers as possible. I glanced at the ice-floats far below us. Their cold white glitter was the least beckoning thing I could imagine. And she was about to jump from the bridge on her own will!

I muttered an „all clear" signal to Espo. I could hear his jelly-like mass sliding through my ear canal. The girl screamed and backed away instinctively – to the bridge-pier. She was safe for the next few milliseconds. Back then I didn't know why she wanted to commit suicide, but I was sure she couldn't be nearly as desperate about jumping as Espo was about keeping her safe on the bridge.

Several seconds passed. I was watching their struggle, but unable to interfere.

„I thought I'd freeze into her ear!" I heard. It was the girl's voice but Espo's tone.

„I'm glad you didn't, " I replied. The girl was stumbling. When Espo was in control, she came closer to me, but when she broke free for a moment, she was heading towards the drift-ice.

„Take care, Espo, " I whispered. „There's a difference between a voluntary host and a voluntary fool, and only one of these would be willing to jump into THAT to retrieve you. And I bet you don't want to test..."

„Then give me a hand!" he cried out loud. At almost the same time, the girl screamed „leave me alone!"

I hanged on to the bridge-pier and offered my hand to them. Espo reached out for me; I could see his fear in the girl's eyes. A Yeerk outside his host is weak and vulnerable. But not nearly as much as a frozen Yeerk.

Espo630 was about to become a frozen Yeerk.

Before you'd get me wrong: I was not a voluntary host. At least, I didn't start like those who come from the Sharing. I was doing my job onboard Nadine when the whole crew was captured by the Yeerks. They needed the ship and our equipment for some desperate search for a surviving Andalite. After that, I was resigned to find other possible host species. Our sub-visser wanted to borrow the power of a bear, the speed of a deer, the effectiveness of a wolf. That's how I turned into host seeker from marine biologist.

I should have hated them all. In fact, I did. At the beginning, I hated every single Yeerk for what they were up to, for what they planned to do. For what they were doing to us. Humans. Earthlings. Living creatures.

I held on to the girl's hand, knowing that I was holding my Yeerk.

Dependence.

All creatures who walk this Earth depend on each other, whether they admit it or not. Yeerks obviously fall into the later category.

„Okay, I'm in control, " the girl said. It sounded horribly ironic.

„Are you sure?"

I was still hanging on to the bridge pier. They were still holding on to me. I had to let them go, or else we could have waited there until we froze to each other.

I was cold.

„You drive, " they said. I nodded.

We walked back to my car. It wasn't more than three meters away but it still took us several minutes to get there. And they felt like hours.

„So?" I asked, once we were all sitting inside the cabin. I think I was melting. I looked at the girl. Poor Espo, he wished for a voluntary host. Maybe I should have wished for a voluntary Yeerk.

„Love thing, " they answered. „The boy cheated on her with two others at the same time. It's very hard to get her to tell more."

I nodded to Espo, but then I looked the girl in the eye.

„Then he is the one who would deserve a bath in drift-ice. Not you. Remember that."

I saw a grin that most likely belonged to Espo. He was jealous.

„She believes you, " I was told.

„Great, " I muttered. I put the car in gear. „Where to?" I asked. Not as if I didn't know the answer already.

„Home, " the controller answered.

„All right."

Then, after a few minutes I said „you can sleep on the sofa."

„I will take the bed."

„The bed is mine" I stated.

„But we bought the flat together. Without me, you'd still be living on that boat."

It is fun to argue with your Yeerk when he is outside of your head. Especially when he is busy with a brand-new host and has enough trouble already.

„The Nadine was a very comfortable ship!" I stated. „And if you hadn't interfered, I could be somewhere around the Bahamas now."

„And so, we couldn't have saved this heart-broken..." he was interrupted by a loud, hopeless, broken „SHUT UP!" I decided they needed more time.

„All right, " I finally said. „You can have the bed. But only for tonight! Tomorrow we'll get rid of her before she gets too much involved."

„The name is Jennifer. And you should remember SV's plan, Sonja."

I nodded. „Yes I do."

Sometimes you have to let the Yeerk win.

„But I will go to the bathroom first!" I said, before it would go to his head.

I slowly melted under the hot shower. I must have been very rude to Jennifer. I should have been more sympathetic with someone who was just infested. Someone who was cheated by her boyfriend, with two girls at the same time.

I am not a good listener. Espo is, so I could leave the emergency psychiatrist treatment to him. I only needed to give Jennifer one of my nighties, to make dinner, to let her stay for a while.

As I stared into the mirror, I had a silly feeling that something was missing.

No. Someone. Espo630.

The smell of freshly made tea lured me out of the bathroom. Only after the first cup did I realize that the newcomer took my treasured passion fruit tea, and she was drinking from my favorite cup.

„Don't look at me like that, " Espo looked at me. „You took the bathroom, so I helped myself here. And besides, it is my favourite tea from my favourite cup."

I knew that.

I collapsed onto the sofa exhausted. It had been a draining day even before I put my feet on that cursed bridge, and it had only gotten worse afterwards. And I couldn't even sleep in my own bed, because this newcomer wanted to end her life over a man who is unworthy of her! And we had made one more step towards SV's plan – our own attempt at a suicide.

I heard Jennifer switch off the lamp in the bedroom. I was left alone in the darkness. I waited for something to happen, without realising it wouldn't. Espo wouldn't say anything to me, because he was no longer in my head.

From the sofa I could see the large oak in front of the window. In summertime it is always green with leaves, now it was white with snow.

„Espo" I asked „do Yeerks have any religious festivals like we have Christmas?"

Jennifer murmured something like „I was about to sleep."

In other words, she was saying I should leave them alone.

Maybe I should have. I should have packed my things and gone. Or maybe I should have checked if I could order a vanarx from the internet. Anything is possible, right?

I lay in silence. Maybe I was too tired to sleep, maybe I was longing for my bed. Maybe I missed Espo.

„Do you ever miss your home world?" I asked, finally.

„My host was also about to sleep."

I wondered if one could sleep while the other was awake. I couldn't remember any time I woke up to find Espo sleeping, nor could I remember Espo waking me up. Once a Yeerk connects himself to a brain, slug and host merge, and thus they become one physiological unit called a Controller. There's no way they can function separately as long as the Yeerk is inside. Could there be any difference in the sleeping pattern?

„When you spend more time at a Pool, I mean, outside, can you still dream? Or is it something that comes with our own mind?" I asked as a final attempt. As an answer, Jennifer threw a pillow - my pillow - at me.

So I truly shut up and tried to sleep. For twenty-two years, I slept pretty well without any Yeerk. I put the new pillow under my head, and pulled the blanket onto me.

„Sonja...?"

I should have known.

„I forgot to phone SV, " a sleepy voice said. „He is to be informed as soon as I have the new host."

„Then go and phone him, " I muttered. A moment later, I was sleeping like a stone.


	2. Chapter 2

Have you ever woken up in a place you didn't know? Have you ever realised you had no idea how you got there? Have you ever been scared of your massive hangover?

Then you might have an idea how it feels to wake up in a completely unknown host.

She was sloppy; she was emotional. She was a few years younger than my real host.

She was depressed.

She was scared.

So was I.

We looked around. To me, at least the flat was familiar. I took control of her panic and tried to focus on the memories. We both had to know what had happened last night.

Well, she and her boyfriend had split up. Mario was a womanizer, a self-appointed Casanova. He would never settle for anything. He always had the newest cellphone, the most fashionable hobby, the prettiest girlfriend. He inherited his father's oldtimer car collection – and sold it because he needed money for a one-of-a-kind airplane he only piloted twice before getting bored with it.

Jennifer thought she could set him right.

I told her that I wouldn't even try it.

I, a Yeerk.

I told her what we are. Strangely, she didn't really care. She was heartbroken after seeing her Mario kissing another woman while he was holding a third one's breast.

The conquest of the Silicon Valley, I told her.

I forced a wry smile on her face. I could not hold her tears; that struggle on the bridge yesterday drained me out completely.

I wondered where my host might be. Knowing her calculating mindset, she might have packed her suitcase and left me with all the trouble we got into together.

I would have done so, if I didn't need to feed every third day. I would have left everything behind and moved out of the so-called Civilisation. I would have gone back to the Nadine and analyse the effects of crude oil pollution on the phytoplancton and all those fish that feed on it.

Heh. Those were about my size. I would have looked funny, chasing a cardinalfish in the name of science. Or tragicomical, if a lionfish were about to eat me.

You see, that is why we live in host bodies. Nobody likes to be vulnerable.

I moved Jennifer out of the bed, and we immediately tripped on Sonja's backbag. That indicated she was still at home. We smelled coffee. Freshly-made coffee! That meant she hadn't abandoned me, afterall.

„How did you sleep with the new host, Espo?" she greeted me. „Because I fell off the sofa three times in a row."

„Good morning to you, too, " I murmured. I took the coffee-cup and looked into it in horror. She grinned „You know I prefer it with milk."

„But you're supposed to drink coffee with some milk and not milk with some coffee!" I replied.

„I know, " she said, then she took the cup from our hand and sipped the almost-white liquid with visible joy.

„Filthy human, " I replied when I got hold of another cup and poured black coffee into it. „Where's the sugar?"

„Right where it should be, " she said. As if she didn't expect me to find it, she pointed at the shelf.

I put sugar into my coffee, knowing she disregarded it as much as I disregard milk. After the sixth spoon of sugar she gave me a curious look. „Are you sure?"

I put in one more spoon of sugar, and drank it with as much joy as she drank that coffee-flavored milk a few minutes before. Do you know what milk is? It's a watery secretum of a heavenly stupid animal that creates it for her offspring, but it is always sucked out of the udder by machines that humans put on them twice a day.

And these humans dare call us parasites.


	3. Chapter 3

Let's get one thing straight – humanity has been enslaved for thousands of years. The fact itself is hardly spoken out loud, but I never ever read an essay denying the simple fact. It started in the ancient Egypt, and in our days it is just as unevitable as it has always been. They've enslaved us at the beginning of our civilisation. According to some archeologyst, they were the cause or at least catalysts of our development, of our society. We no longer praise them as gods, not in the public, at least.

My private slavekeeper woke me up at 6 AM. I must have muttered some „shut up" which she took as an encouragement and translated it as „If you keep on meowing, I will wake up soon and feed you, I promise." So she kept on meowing until I got out of my...

Wait.

I was not in my bed. I was sleeping on my sofa, while the bed was occupied by Espo630.

First the Yeerk took over my own body. He took over my job, my top-secret plastic pony collection, my phone book, and now he even took over my bed!

The slavekeeper kept meowing at about three inches distance from my left ear. I grabbed her and threw her in the direction of the wastebin. Cats always land on four feet (that's the main difference between them and yeerks – the later species has no leg to land on) but this specimen landed with all four feet on the pile of newspapers. I buried myself under the blanket again, as if I could take cover when I was under attack of the tabby beast. She knew I'm almost awake and only a few steps from feeding her, so she came back, meowing, pretending to be starving since Halloween.

„Shut up, Witchblade!" I hissed. She backed away, looking at the empty kitchen, where I should have been preparing her dish. She knew how to make me feel guilty for not feeding her on time, and I could not help my remorse after looking into her gorgeous, large green eyes.

„All right, Witch. Give me five more minutes to wake up, will you?"

She meowed in a pitiful, betrayed voice. Defeated, I struggled to the kitchen. Once I made it that far, I decided to make a coffee for myself, and waited for my Yeerk to wake up.

The rest of the morning was uneventful. Breakfast, driving, work. Running from the chromatography lab to the sample storage, from the computers to the filing cabinet, getting my hand electrocuted by the El-Fo machine, cursing over the defunct printer, waiting for the engineer while I should have processed blood samples. Papers got mixed up, one of the bloods coagulated. Cursing again. When the co-workers were fed up with my laments and left for an early lunch, I decided to check on an unlabaled sample that was being processed for two hours already.

It was horse serum, and I had to find out what was so special about it. I knew there must be something in it, something that doesn't have any strange effect on humans, or cattle, or whatever Earth creature. I have no information how it influences Andalites or free Hork-Bajir. But I've seen what it does to a Yeerk.

I wondered if I need to go to the 'club meeting' or is it enough if Espo did. Maybe I should have picked the „Blood chemistry – advanced research methods and summaries 2010" and read it while my pizza gets warmed up in the microwave, but the alarm clock at the horse sample beeped. It was time to evaluate the results, whatever they might be.

There was a thin line in the region of 100 kiloDalton molecule size, something that was present in the horse blood but not in other samples I usually worked with. I already guessed it had to do with the diet of the animal, I discussed it with Espo, but we couldn't get any further.

Maybe my father was right when he said I need to work solitary, and not let anyone disturb me while I work. That's why I chose to be a marinologist, venturing on the waves of the wonderful, mighty ocean. But since I got yeerked, I could not be alone. I could not work alone. Espo was okay, it could have been much worse if I got someone else, but still... it's best for me to be alone. With Espo, I could not even realise that the main difference between horses and us is not only that they that they feed on hay, but also, on different cereals. Oat, mostly.

I dropped into the chair at the computer, went to the PubMed Central homepage, typed „oat protein 100 kDa" and clicked search.

The first article I came across was „Specific binding of victorin to a 100-kDa protein from oats". It was about a fungus _Cochliobolus victoriae _and how its victorin toxin effects the oat leaf. First I was unsure if that's what we've been looking for. I searched „victorin" on the Google, but it gave me over five hundred thousand results, most of which had to do with Victorin as a name. I was about to go back to PubMed and do the search there, but my phone rang.

„Aren't you coming?"

Jennifer. Espo.

„I'm busy" I replied. „I have no time to..."

A car honked right in front of the lab's window. It seemed the Yeerk gave me no option.

„One day I will watch you suffocate in your precious pool" I muttered into the now-silent telephone. I got my white coat off and my greatcoat on.

Espo opened the passenger's door for me.

„I will so overcomplicate my life with you two."

I'll never know if it was said by Espo or Jennifer.


	4. Chapter 4

The wand chooses the wizard. The car picks the driver. And, in some rare cases, the host would jump headfirst for his Yeerk. At least, that's what happened to me.

I was in the Pool for two months and twenty-three days. After my Hork-Bajir was killed in battle, I decided I didn't want another host. Jaku Mashakkard was mortally wounded in the back, but his head remained intact. He was conscious but paralyzed, and he knew he was about to die in a war between two species he formerly had nothing to do with. I refused to leave him alone. I shared his despair. I tried to ease his pain. A part of me died with him.

Not that I haven't hated Andalites before, but that was nothing more than envy at its worst. From that day, I hated them with passion. Especially the one called Alloran.

Not that I wouldn't hate the Visser inside his head, for the very same reasons.

I guess I was still depressed by Jaku's death when Bob had jumped among us. The guards blocked his way at the infestation platform, so he plunged in. I felt as if he came for me, I entered his brain like it was my home, my place in this world. And indeed, it was. He's an intelligent, good-hearted male of the human species, and he is my partner in crime. The infestation happened at 7:31 PM, we arrived home two minutes after eight, and he finished the first scetches of our future just before midnight. The idea was not mine, nor his. It was the first sign of our cooperation, something that can never be created by a Yeerk or a host, but by the two together.

„Two letters for Robert McStone and other four for Es-Vee" the young receptionist greeted us. I took the envelopes, but gave the boy a rather disapprooving glare.

„It is Sea-Vee" I told him, at least the twenty-fifth time. „Since it stands for Seamus Voight."

He nodded, as if he understood.

To those people outside the office, Seamus Voight was the distant friend, a never-seen helper, a sponsor, an organiser. While Bob McStone lived his life as a single architect, Seamus Voight was the guy who designed buildings for free, mediated between construction workers and future house-owners, and who had sent raw material to people who could not afford to buy it all for themselves.

Very few know that SV doesn't only stand for Seamus Voight, but also, for Sub-Visser426.

Bob wanted to start with his „own" letters, so that he could get through them fast. One of these was a request to double-check a plan of his colleague, the other was from his ex-wife's lawyer. If I hadn't kept control, he would have thrown both letters into the wastebin. I reminded him that paper has to be recycled.

One of SV's letters was a thank-you card, written by a thankful mother who could now move back to his husband with her children. There was a photo of the reunited family: a tall, blonde man and an Asian-like woman with three kids of different size, with the freshly renovated house in the background. I put the photo on the trophy board.

Children. Parents. That's still new to me, it's an amusing thing I might once experience as Bob's Yeerk but I will not live to see on my own. Three Yeerks die during our reproduction – this is how our own nature prevents overpopulation. Wise, but cruel... just like our species. It happens, like it or not.

The next letter was from a catering foundation: they wanted to build a new canteen but they wished to save their money for feeding the poor. There was an address, there were some photos. The place used to be a garage before. Bob had been there once: it's a dirty, dangerous area, with lots of hungry people to feed. I marked the place on the map with a brown star – it means that we'll also have to build a new entrance to the Pool there. It would be an escape route from the dangerous slum zone, a shortcut to our feeding area. You can never know where you might get trapped, and we need nutrients from the pool. For now, at least.

I felt Bob smiling at me at the thought. If there's such thing as a mental bro-fist, this was something like that. If all goes well, we would be free. We will free ourselves.

I took the next request. Sharing. I put it away, and wasted my free time with something else.

I don't like the Sharing. I get the idea behind it, but it's not the starting that matters. If you get a host from the Sharing, you might have their trust for the first few minutes, that's all. It's useful for Controllers for keeping in touch, but if you want your host to cooperate, do not ever rely on a band of lyers like them. Trust is a house you have to build for your own self, brick by brick. If you're in control, that's good. If your host is not fighting 24/7, it is even better. If you can trust your host with holding you in their palm, you know what I'm talking about.

I took the last letter: a young couple was expecting their first child, and they needed help with re-structuring their homes. It was a piece of cake for us, but I couldn't ignore Bob telling me how much he longed for an own family, an own child. They got divorced soon after he got infested, he used to blame the Yeerk for the divorce. After he plunged in for me, we've been preoccupied with our jobs. Sometimes I reminded him that we don't want to leave a widow behind. If we succeed with our plan, he will get time to deal with this type of problems. Until that, he had to focus on real life, instead of his wishes.

At first, even our plan was but a wish. We easily agreed about the basics, and our connected minds worked out the details. Meanwhile, I pretended to be a normal Yeerk, a normal Controller, keeping an eye on every possible danger that can come on our pool. When Visser Three killed my immediate superior, I've been promoted to take his place. To the outside, to the rest of the Pool, nothing changed. Maybe they didn't even notice that their subvisser died.

I've been put in charge of this little team.  
Tole2233 and Tole2233Lesser are my intelligence team. If you need stock news, go to Wall Street Journal. If you need any other type of news, you can ask them. Their hosts, Diane and May Spring are identical twins, and if that wasn't enough, the Hork-Bajirs at the Pool keep mistaking them so I can never know who is in which host. They're quite good-looking, for my host's high standards. Thin body, long blonde hair, innocent blue eyes. May has a beauty mark in the corner of her mouth, but it can only be seen when she's smiling.  
Espo630 and Sonja Dickenstein do the laboratory work for us, and they're also my biology advisors. They're my key to this planet – without their help, I would be lost like Dracon beam in a black hole.  
Leep510 and Antony Graiman are the computer specialists. A match made in hell. Leep once managed to download memories from a Councilor (something an average Yeerk would never get away with). Tony joined our team soon after he took a few thousand bucks from the Sharing's bank account.  
Jonar225 and Mike Zonta are the daredevil of this group: Mike is doing extreme sports of all kind, Jonar is... well, he's a troublemaker youngling, often forgetting the limits. Once, with his former host, he went on a climbing tour in Alaska. The host sent him back to the pool in a chocolate box as „express air mail" on the third day. When Jonar joined the team, I tried to find this former host, but it turned out he died in an avalanche a few days after posting Jonar to us. It makes my skin crawl: the Yeerk was the more careful of the duo.

We sat in the shadowy corner of the tea house, a warm shelter for creatures not accustomed to freezing cold weather. Tony-Leep sat on my right, talking about security concerns. Passwords. Telephone numbers. It's hard to imagine he had just logged out from Visser Three's eBay account. While he's talking, Jonar silently took his spoon and performed an old Uri Geller trick on it. I let my host grin at him.

Espo's team arrived at the same time as the twins did. I greeted Jennifer politely. I felt that Bob was trying to leave a good impression, so I just let him talk for me. Meanwhile, Sonja seated herself between the twins, and started asking about recipes. It soon turned out that none of us eats oatmeal, porridge, or anything that has to do with oat. I had a strange feeling that she wanted to experience on us.

As the waiter left, Diane and Lesser leant forward. At least, I think it was Diane.

„I started asking around at the cages" she started. Involuntary hosts are of her favourite sources, she can gather amazing informations that a Controller would never give out. See, that's my main problem with hosts fighting against their yeerks: they would turn against them as soon as they're given a chance. I cherish my partnership with Bob, I know he would never give my plans away. Our plans, to be exact.

„One of the Kandrona architects is nicknamed Cyano" Diane continued. „Do you know what's so special about him?"

„Maybe he's a Kandrona architect" Tony-Leer snorted.

„You've dated with one of his former hosts?" Jonar guessed. I could feel the host's envy in his voice. Mike Zonta had already tried to get a date from the twins. After that first occasion I had to re-shedule our feeding times because we couldn't leave them uncontrolled at the same time. I don't know exact details, but I guess something went wrong with them. Humans!

„Well, that name means 'blue' if that's what you want to hear" Sonja said.

„Bingo!" May smiled. Her beauty mark showed up for a moment. „He got the nick because he's blue. According to his host, he can easily be distinguished. I thought this might be useful."

They both smiled at me. At Bob, to be exact, I just happened to sit in the same place. The girls' unmistakeable interest pleased his self-esteem.

„Who is the host?" Espo asked. The Springs gave her an accurate description. Espo and Sonja nodded at the same time.

„Do we need him?" Sonja asked me.

„It would be great help if we could convince him."

„That's unlikely" Diane said. „He seems to be a loyal plug of Visser Three."

„And he's always surrounded by others of his interest" May added with a bitter taste in her words.

Mike Zonta looked at me, almost begging. „Can I please do it, SV?" he smiled. „Pretty please?"


	5. Chapter 5

Yeerks are odd creatures. But not nearly as odd as freedom fighter yeerks.

Thinking back, I have already met quite a few of them before I'd even known they're here. One of my classmates was a loud activist of the Sharing. Another schoolmates, most of whom I considered irritably friendly, turned out to be Controllers too. Some teachers. The principal of the other school in town.

It was odd.

Espo is... well, what could I say for a Yeerk who saved my life, in the first place? He has a strange point of view, one very different from mine. It's comfortable to simply lay down and relax and listen to him. I wondered how useful Yeerks would be. They could prevent people from doing silly things. Destroying themselves and everything around. I'm aware that most Yeerks are destroyers themselves, but let's be honest, humanity has been already working hard annihilating everything beautiful on this planet. Even without Yeerks, we had wars. Even without Yeerks, we had famine. Even without Yeerks, we had nuclear bombs. We try to take control of our planet, killing everything that would endanger our Number One position. Before judging them, one should ask this single question: are we so different?

Those are my thoughts. Do I sound depressed? Actually, I was depressen then. I wanted to end my life, knowing nobody would miss me. But then, all of a sudden, I found myself involved in an escape plan, a plan of creatures I didn't even know about before.

There, at the tea house, I looked at them all, humans and yeerks, with Espo giving me details about everyone. For them, I might be of some use. I might be able to help them. I might be needed.

Illusion? Maybe. I looked at Bob Stone (Espo kept referring to him as SV) and forgot about everything. My legs were shaking, my heart stopped. Bob Stone was THE MAN. Eight years older than I, dark hair, charming-serious smile, muscular but not over-muscled body... you get the picture. And he had the look. I couldn't imagine this perfect male would exist. He might have stepped out from a dream.

Espo had already shown me some memories of him, so I didn't expect myself to tremble at the sight of such perfect creation. Espo was walking for me, so we managed to look like normal. Normal Controller...

He greeted me in a kind, respectful manner, his voice was like dark chocolate. He welcomed me in the team.

A team of Controllers who want to desert from the inglorious Yeerk Empire. A team of Controllers who long for a life on their own, not depending on their centre Pool they cannot live without. A team of Controllers who want to break free, free from their leaders, free from their army, free from their inevitable doom. A team of Controllers under the command of Sub-Visser-426.

Bob.

He looked at me, asked about my past, and how I got infested. The day before it was very hard to talk about it, not even Espo could get me produce full, coherent sentences about Mario and his silicone blondies. That day, I was only ashamed. How could I run after such mosquito boy with Bob Stone walking on this Earth?

„Do you think he would deserve to end up as a host?" he asked. I couldn't imagine! He asked whether I want Mario yeerked!

„Definitely!" I couldn't believe I said that. „He will be a pain to keep under control, but that's not my part to worry about."

If I were alone, I wouldn't have said a word. Bob, I mean, SV, was the most awesome person I have ever met in real life. If Espo wasn't in my head, I would have surely fainted at the sight of him. Into his arms, I hope. But Espo was there and he made me reply like I normally should have. I'm not sure if any Yeerk would deserve Mario, but Mario would definitely deserve a Yeerk. Espo was okay, at least I had someone who talked to me... but I can imagine how terrible it might be to have some other Yeerk. Not a pleasant thought.

Meanwhile, the over-muscular man-Controller called Jonar and Mike Zonta was asking the twins about a blue Yeerk called Cyano. Espo noticed Sonja joined the discussion, while my own mind focused on SV and nobody else.

After deciding the fate of Mario, he was talking to the other guy called Tony-Leep. He looked too old for me. Espo told me he was only three years older than Bob, but he used to be a heavy drinked before he joined the Sharing, not quite on his own will. The Yeerk prevented him from drinking any alcohol ever since. He had to quit smoking as well. All in one, the guy was nowhere near Robert Stone.

Tony-Leep gave a few pages of sheet music to SV. I asked Espo what that was, I had to know everything that could interest Bob. I learned that he collects all kinds of songs with two male phrases, and he can sing the two at the same time. It's some kind of a team-building activity for SV and Bob. I didn't understand it at first, so Espo promised to give it a try when we reach home.

„You might have trouble with the language" Tony-Leep told SV. „You know, it's Hungarian I wrote the translation there."

„It's OK, I will handle it" SV replied in a charmingly self-assured manner.

„I didn't doubt it" Tony-Leep replied.

Espo forced me to look away, he had to see what the twins and Sonja were doing.

„First we need to make sure it's the oat" Sonja said.

„Trust me with that" Tole said. „I was about to go to the pool anyway."

„SV, do I have your permission for a field trial?" Sonja asked.

Bob looked up from the sheets.

„Yes. Just keep the rest of the rules, ladies. I need to know what I discovered."

„Okay."

Of course I wanted to get a clue. Espo explained me on the way home.

SV goes riding almost every weekend, usually to Barnfield Barnes, and he rides a bay gelding called Bizarre. Riding, as in moving forward with a horse's graceful power. Two months ago, the Yeerk inside his head got an idea and wished to try riding on his own. And while Bob was standing guard, the Sub-Visser connected himself to the horse's brain... and lost control after a few minutes. Bob called for Sonja's help. Together, they watched for several days, and when they almost gave up all hope, SV curled out of the horse's ear. He didn't die of Kandrona starvation. How surprising is that?

Sonja has been looking for an explanation ever since. How comes the Yeerk survived almost a week without going to the pool? And why did he loose control? He who's believed to be the most talented of mind control, an art all yeerks are professional at?

I was looking forward to the evening. Because Espo630 had to go to the pool with Sonja, and Bob agreed to come and watch over me. A whole evening with Bob Stone!


	6. Chapter 6

I caught up with Sonja pretty fast. After being in Jennifer for almost a whole day, I have to admit I missed the ocean-cold biologist. I read her mind as if it was my own diary. I thanked her for her cooperation, I adored her work. And I admitted she was more useful when she was without me.

I arrived at the pool just as May was taken to a cage after releasing Tole from her brain. It is the noisiest area of the Pool, involuntaries crying for help or simply cursing at us all the time. I cannot imagine how she could work there, but she was unquestionably good at it.

I got Sonja to bend above the pool, and splashed into the muddy water.

Home sweet home.

Evenings are crazy at the pool. Imagine a large underwater fast food restaurant at the rush hour. Now imagine some of your food fighting back, so you need the waiters to literally drag them to you while there are a hundred other people in the line, waiting for you to move on.

I'm so glad to have a voluntary. Those without one have to queue in the releasing line, and you cannot leave your host until the host before you is secured and taken away. I've seen a yeerk go through the fugue in the line. Finally he came out – the yeerk instincts got the best of him. He couldn't control his host anyway.

Argh. It must have been embarassing. SV is right about keeping our host cooperative.

I float around the pool silently. There's too much noise anyway, and there's a chaos in my mind. Two hosts are far too exhausting.

I wonder what Sonja might be thinking now. Maybe she's cursing my non-existent cooking abilities? No, she's much calmer than that. And besides: it's her non-existent cooking abilities.

It took her two hours to manage some edible-looking oat cookies, and it will take another two to clean out the kitchen. But hey, my idea was to go to a shop and buy something with a visible oat content. She was the one who insisted on the exact ratios. To keep it scientifically accurate, you know. As if it would really matter.

I swam to the infestation pier, waiting for Tole to go. Our antennae touched each other, as if wishing good luck.

Good luck to something that has already started to happen.

When May's head was pressed in, I started swimming to the side where Sonja was waiting for me. I felt the water vibrate as she impatiently patted the surface. When I was there, she kneeled down for me. Then, as if we weren't up to anything suspicious, we walked to an exit – one that happened to be the same as Tole and May chose.

On the way to the surface, I quickly read Sonja's memories of the past few minutes. She kept a good eye on May and on the host whose yeerk would be our first victim.

We've been following a woman – long red hair, strong make-up, visible pregnancy. Sonja was pissed about this detail. Most drugs are only tested on pregnant creatures as a last-but-one step. It could confuse any results. I, however, have agreed with May's decision. A pregnant human would try to behave more reasonably, since they need to take care of another life. Until they give birth, they are very motivated to avoid unwanted attention. No yeerk would silence her – it would totally ruin the experiment.

Maybe I should be satisfied.

Tole's host took my oat cookies, then she was taken to the cage, and she told the pregnant woman that she didn't have an appetite down there so maybe she would take the cookies. She ate at least two of them on the spot.

Good.

We have reached the street level when the first sympthoms came. The controllel shrugged. She might have even tried to scream, but May was right behind her, holding her mouth, whispering a „Silence, we only want to help you" to her ear. When it didn't work, she also reasoned „Just don't get any unnecessary attention, will you?". At this point the woman was literally fighting. Sonja was angry because we couldn't see the exact changes in detail. Then I walked to the woman

„If you lure a controller on us, he will kill both you and the baby! Is that what you want?"

Suddenly the woman fell silent.

„Thanks" Tole murmured.

„Don't mention it" I replied.

„Who are you?" the woman asked.

„Researchers" I answered. It happened to be true.

„What was in that cookie you gave me?" she asked. Immediately, her yeerk must have taken over for a second because she cried „TRAITORS!" May put her hand on her mouth, but it was almost too late.

A man-controller ran towards us.

„Is there any problem?" he asked, dracon beam ready in his hands.

I gave him Sonja's most charming smile.

„I just invited my dear neighbor to my favourite McDonalds for an Extra Happy" I smiled. He laughed knowingly.

„That was close" the woman sighed, once the man was out of sight. „Whatever you are up to, may you be blessed for doing it." And then, after a few seconds „Are you traitors really?"

„We need to know how oat effects a human-controller" Sonja explained. „In theory, it should keep your yeerk... ehm, the point is, you should discover what oat does to you."

„Oat?"

„Oat."

„I have never eaten oat ever since..."

She shut up, trying to remember.

„Since?" Sonja urged her. „How long before you were infested?"

„DON'T YOU DARE ANSWER THEM!" Luckily May was already prepared and she put her hand on the woman's mouth in time.

„Will Errit keep talking into my life?" she asked suspiciously.

„We don't know. Possible."

„Maybe you will regain control over your own body after a while" Sonja added. „Just keep me informed about your condition, will you?"

That night I walked home contentedly. Whatever is in the oat, it surely has an unidentified effect on human-controllers, and Sonja also liked that we saved a mother from involuntary controllerdom.

I opened the door, knowing Jennifer and SV should be there, and also, the remains of my first attempt at the oat cookies.

Then, I stood there in shock, and I couldn't stop Sonja from shouting „WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY KITCHEN? HOW DARE YOU CLEAN UP MY FLAT? ESPO THIS..."

„The name is Jennifer" I muttered.

„THIS JENNIFER DARED PUT MY PLACE IN ORDER!"


End file.
